Wednesday, July 1, 2009

[New Music] The National

While having to move my car yet again to avoid another parking ticket in the desolate streets of Bensonhurst, I caught a couple minutes of a song by a group called the National. Caught by the way Matt Berninger's voice dropped on the line: think I better follow you around, I started a frenzy of trying to find out what the song was.

Luckily, bestowed with keen librarian skills and a modicum of socialization, I managed to find it as the National's Brainy. I love Berninger's voice. Deep, understated - to the point where when the song shifts, it makes a sweet little aural impact that to my imagination (which is quite active, I'll admit) made it sound as if it were an admission pulled unwillingly out of the singer. Nice.

Here is the song:

And the lyrics:

I've been draggin around from the end of your coat for two weekseverywhere you go is swirling, everything you say has water under it

You know I keep your fingerprints in a pink folder in the middle of my tableyou're the tall kingdom I surroundthink I better follow you around

You might need me more than you think you willcome home in the car you love, brainy brainy brainy****On a second (hundred) listen, I was struck by how much Berningersounded like Springsteen. Curious and curiouser.